Self-playing musical instrument.



. L. B. DOMLAN SELF PLAYING MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION HLED JULY 6. l9l5.

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SELF PLAYING MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED, JULY 5, I915- 1 326,581 Patented Dec. 30, 1919,

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UNITED STATES PATENT ornicn.

LEWIS BENJAMIN DOIVIAN, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE .AMPHION PIANO PLAYER COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

SELF-PLAYING MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

To all whom it may concern:

.Be it known that I. LEWIS B. DOMAN, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Self-Playing Musical Instruments, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This inventionrelates to certain improvements in self-playing musical instruments, and refers more particularly to an expression controlling or tone modulating apparatus. involvingfthe use of a main tensionresisting pneumatic in the connection between the wind-inducing device and soundproducing action for maintaining a maximum air tension in said action corresponding to that in the wind-inducing device, as distinguished from that set forth in my Patent No. 1,075,313, Oct. 7, 1913, and also in my pending application, Serial No. 780.350, filed July 21, 1913, in that the closing action of the main pneumatic tending to restrict communication between the windiuducing device and sound-producing action is opposed by a yielding resister consisting, in this instance, of a spring of just suflicient force or tension to counteract the effect of the maximum air tension necessary to produce the loudest tones, or fortissimo effects.

The main object is to provide simple means controlled automatically or at will for operating said pneumatic against the ac tion bf the resister under different degrees of force for subduing the tone of any note or notes of the musical selection as represented by the note perforations which may be in register with the note ducts of the tra ckcr bar.

In other words, I have sought to associate with the tension-resisting pneumatic a series of auxiliary tone-modifying pneumatics adapted to be placed one by one in communication with the wind-inducing device and arranged in such manner as to exert their individual or collective force upon the main resisting pneumatic against the action of the resister spring, and thereby subdue the tone of such note or notes of the musical selection as may be desired.

Another object is to provide web-controlled means for sequentially opening and closing communication between the auxiliary Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 6, 1915.

Patented Dec. 30, 1919.

Serial No. 38,181.

pneumatics and wind-inducing device in synchronism with the tracking of the note perforations representing the particular part of the composition which is to be subdued in tone.

Other objects and uses will be brought out in the following description.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view, partly broken away and partly in section, of an expression controlling apparatus embodying the features of my invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the device for controlling the operation of the auxiliary pneun'iatics taken in the plane of line 22, Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view of the same device.

Fig. 4: is an enlarged side elevation of a portion of the valve board and one of the pncui'natics shown in Fig. 2, together with the slide valve for connecting the ports which lead to the auxiliary pneumatics and to the exhaust port.

Figs. 5 and 6 are ei'llargcd vertical sectional views, taken, respectively, on lines 5--5, and 66,' Fig. 1.

This apparatus preferably comprises two cooperative units, either of which may be installed in any available part of the instrument case, and for convenience of description, may be termed, respectively, an expression governing device and the other a controller therefor.

The expression governing device comprises a wind chest 1, a tension-resisting pneumatic -2 and a plurality of, in this instance three, auxiliary tone-modifying pneumatics 3, l.- and 5 which together with the pneumatic --2 are mounted side by side upon one and the same side of the wind chest 1.

This wind chest is divided by a partition -6 into separate compartments or chambers -7 and 8, the chamber 7 being connected by a flexible pipe 9' to a wind-inducing device 10, a portion of which is shown in Fig. 1, the other compart inent -8 being connected by a flexible pipe 11 to the sound-producing action, not shown.

The pneumatic 2 is connected to the chambers 7 and S, through ports 12 and -13" in the adjacent side of the wind chest, as shown in Fig. 9., and

therefore, forms a part of the connection betweenv the wind-inducing device and soundproducing action, the movable side of said pneumatic being provided with a valve 14i on its inner face cooperating with the port 12- to vary the air tension in the sound-producing action for tone modulation.

Vhen the pneumatic 2 is full open, the air tension in the action chest will be substantially the same as that in the wind-inducing device for producing corresponding tones but by gradually closing said pneumatic these tones will be gradually subdued.

One of the important features of my invention consists in providing means, as a spring 15-, for yieldingly holding the pneumatic -2- full open under a forcejust sufficient to counteract the effect of the maximum air tension within said pneumatic necessary to produce fortissimo efiects by the sound-producing action and to arrange the auxiliary pneumatics in such manner as to exert their individual or collective force upon the tension-resisting pneumatic -.ito partially close the same against the action of the spring -15, and thereby reduce the air tension in the player action for subduing the tones of selected notes.

As illustrated, the movable sides of the auxiliary pneumatics are rigidly connected to the movable side of the pneumatic by a cross bar 16 and it, therefore, follows that if any one of the auxiliary pneumatics is placed in communication with the exhaust or wind-inducing device -10-, a corresponding pressure will be brought to bear upon the movable side of the pneumatic 2 tending to close the same or to restrict communication between the wind-inducing device and sound-producing action, thereby subduing the tone produced by such action.

Suitable means is provided for placing these auxiliary pneumatics one by one or in sequence in communication with the exhaust device and thereby modifying the tone of such part or parts of the musical composition as may be desired.

For this purpose, I have provided a valve chest 17-with an exhaust chamber 18- and separate valve chambers 19, the exhaust chamber 1S being connected-by a flexible pipe -20- directly to the wind chest 1 of the expression controlling device and, therefore, indirectly to the windinducing device 10, while the valve chambers 19 are connected by ports 21 with the exhaust chamber 18 and are also connected by ports -22 with a chamber 23 which opens to the atmosphere, each of the ports -22 being coaxial with one of the exhaust ports 21, as shown more clearly in Fig. 2.

These ports are controlled by separate valves 24 having suitable stems 24:

of angular cross section guided in the ports '-21 to allow the passage of air through said exhaust ports when uncovered by the valves 24:.

These valves are adapted to be operated y separate primary pneumatics 25 having ports -26 connected by flexible con duits 27 to suitable ducts 28 in a tracker bar 29 across which the music sheet, as 30, is adapted to travel.

This music sheet may be provided with separate rows of apertures 31 and 31 arranged so as to register with their respective ducts 28 for automatically controlling the operation of the auxiliary pneumatics in a manner presently described, the controlling device being somewhat similar to that set forth in my pending application, Serial No. 78,17 filed February 14, 1916.

These auxiliary pneumatics are connected by separate flexible conduits -33, 3 and 85, to. corresponding ports -33, 34 and 35 in a valve board 36 forming a part of the valve chest -17, said valve board -36- being provided with a separate exhaust port -32 connected by a conduit 38 to the exhaust chamber -18, as shown more clearly in Fig. 3.

These ports 32, 33-, -3 and '-35 are arranged side by side and open through the upper face of the valve board 36 so that the ports 3, 1 and -35- may be connected one at a time and in sequence with the exhaust port 32 by means of a slide valve 39 which is movable along and upon and is spring pressed into engagement with the upper face of the valve board 36, as shown in Fig. 2.

Secured to opposite sides of the valve chest 17- are opposed pneumatics -40 and 40 which communicate with the adjacent valve chambers 19- through separate passages 4:1 and normally communicate with the atmosphere through the corresponding ports -22, but may be placed in communication with the exhaust chamber 18 by opening the valves -24.- through the medium of the primary pneumatics 25, as controlled automatically by the perforations 31 and %1-- in the note sheet -30.

The function of the pneumatic -i0 is to operate the slide valve 39 step by step in one direction for connecting the ports -33, 8t and 35- in sequence with the exhaust port 32-, while the other pneumatic 40 serves to operate the slide valve step by step in the reverse direction for uncovering the ports -35, -34- and 33- in sequence to the atmosphere, and for this purpose,- the slide valve is provided with separate toothed racks 42 and -4c2 having their teeth inclined in opposite directions for engagement by separate pawls i3 and 4t3i carried by the movable sides of the pncumatics 40 and 4.0, respectively, each rack being provided with a plurality of, in this instance three, teeth corresponding to the number of the auxiliary pneumatics 3, and

It is to be understood from the foregoing description that the pneumatics -4=O and 40-'- can only act one at a time and not simultaneously, and that each pneumatic instantly returns to its normal open position after shifting the rack one tooth space at a time, and in order that the valve may be normally free from connection with either pneumatic, the pawls are forced out of engagement with their respective racks by riding upon inclined faces 4A- on the upper side of the valve chest along and upon which the pawls move, as shown more clearly in Fig. 1.

Under these conditions, it is possible to operate the slide valve by hand, and for thi purpose, it is connected by a rod -t5 to a crank shaft -t5 which may be journaled upon the-instrument case and provided with a finger-piece ft7 by which it may be rocked to shift the valve in reverse directions as may be required to produce the desired tone modulation.

Suitable steps 49 are provided for engaging th movable sides of the pneumatics i0 and i0 and limiting their opening movement so as to assure the movement of the slide valve one tooth space at a time at each operation. of the corresponding pneumatic.

Now, if the tone modulating apparatus is to operate automatically through the medium of the note sheet and certain notes or measures of the musical composition are to be played with a subdued effect of, say one degree below fortissimo, then the note sheet will be provided with a single perforation, as 31-, approximately in transverse alinement with the note perforations representing the note or measure at which the subduing efiect is to begin, so that when said perforation registers with the corresponding duct 28 in the tracker bar, atmospheric air will be admitted to the corresponding pneumatic 25 to operate the same.

This operation of the primary pneumatic will raise the adjacent valv 2-, thereby closing communication between the corresponding pneumatic as i() and the atmosphere and opening communication between said pneumatic and the exhaust chamber 18 through the open port-21- which causes instantaneous collapse or closing of said pneumatic &0 and, therefore, causes its pawl -i3 to engage the corresponding rack and shift the slide valve --39- on tooth space, or sufficient to connect the port 33 and its corresponding auxiliary pneumatic -3 with the exhaust port -32.

This places the pneumatic 3- under the influence of the exhaust device which partially closes the'tension-resisting pneumatic -2- against the action of the spring -15-, thus reducing the air tension in the sound-producing action to subdue the tone of the instrument on degree.

As soon as the single aperture 31- mentioned has passed the duct -28- in the tracker bar to cut off communication between-the primary pneumatic and atmosphere, the corresponding valve 24: automatically closes communication between the pneumatic .t0 and exhaust chamber l8 and opens communication between said pneumatic and the atmosphere, causing such pneumatic to instantly open and to draw its pawl back ready for a repetition of the operation, previously described.

In like manner, if another aperture 31 is provided in the note sheet to succeed the first one, it is evident that the slide valve 39 will be shifted another tooth space to embrace the two of the ports 38 and 34 and, thereby cause the operation of another one of the auxiliary 'pneumatics V Again, if three apertures 31 succeed each other in the note sheet, the third auxiliary pneumatic 5 will be brought into action, each one tending to move the tension-resisting pneumatic 2 nearer to its closed position for further subduing the tone, the action of the three auxiliary pneumatics being suflicient, in this instance, to modulate the tone from fortissimo to pianissimo, step by step.

In reverse manner, the slide valve may return to its starting position step by step through the medium of the pneumatic 40 and its pawl -43 to successively cut off communication between the exhaust device and auxiliary pneumatics 5, l. and 3 and to similarly connect said auxiliary pneumatics with the atmosphere.

It is now evident that if the note sheet is not provided with these perforations -81 and 31, the instrument will be played with full fortissimo effects, but the tone may be modulated at will through the medium of the finger-piece 4:7' and its connection with the slide valve through the rod 4.5 by simply rocking the finger-piece in one direction or the other at the proper time to produce the desired tone effects.

The same apparatus may, therefore, be used for either automatic or voluntary control of the tone modulation, and although I have shown only three of the auxiliary pneumatics -3, l and 5, it is evident that the number may be increased or diminished and that other changes may be made in the detail of construction and arrangement of the various elements without departing from the spirit of my invention. I

By setting the governing pneumatic -2 so as to remain full open under all varying conditions of air tension below that required to produce :Eortissimo efl'ects, it is evident that the tension in the governing pneumatic and, therefore, that in the sound-producing action will vary with the varying conditions in the wind chest -1 as produced by variations in the power and speed of action of the pumping bellows.

This condition is highly important and of great advantage in the operation of this class oi": instruments because it enables the operator to vary the expression from pianissimo to fortissimo through the medium of the pedals without necessitating the opration of any of the other expression-controlling devices, such as the assister pneumatics -8, e and -5.

Another advantage is that the operator may maintain any degree of air tension in the soundproducing action above pianissimo by means of the pedals or other pumping operating device, and then at any time while such tension is being maintained, may subdue the tones by causing the operation of any one or more of the pneumatics 3, l and 5- in the manner described.

lVhat I claim is:

1. In a self-playing musical instrument, an expression-governing device including a pneumatic and yielding means for opening said pneumatic with a predetermined force suliic-ient to cause the instrument to play with tortissimo effect, in combination with separate auxiliary pneun'iatics acting upon the first-named pneumatic against the action of said opening means, atmosphere ports con'miunicating with their respective auxiliary pueumatics, an exhaust port, and means tor connecting the atmosphere ports one by one in sequence with the exhaust port and cutting oii communication between such atmosphere ports and the atmosphere.

2. In a self-playing n'uisical instrument, an expressioil-governing device including a pneumatic and means for opening the same 1 with a predetermined force suflicient to cause the instrument to operate with tortissimo effect, in combination with a plurality of auxiliary pnucmatics acting upon the firstnamed pneumatic in opposition to said opening means, each normally communicating with the atmosphere through separate ports, an exhaust port, a valve normally embracing the exhaust port and movable to embrace the atmosphere ports in sequence with the exhaust port for sequentially connecting the auxiliary pneumatics with said exhaust port, and'means for operating the valve.

3. In a self-playing musical instrument, an expression-governing device including a pneumatic and means for opening the same under a predetermined force, an auxiliary pneumatic acting'upon the first-named pneumatic in opposition to said opening means and normally communicating with an atmos pheric port, an exhaust port, a valve for connecting and disconnecting the atmospheric port to and from the exhaust port and mean including a pair of pneumatics for operating said valve in reverse directions.

4-. In a self-playing musical instrument, an expression-governing device including a pneumatic and means tor opening the same under a predetermined force sui'licient to resist the tendency to close under the air tension therein when playing with tortissimo effect, in combination with an auxiliary pneumatic acting upon the first-named pneumatic in opposition to said opening means and normally communicating with an atmosphere port, an exhaust port, a valve for connecting and disconnecting the atmosphere port to and from the exhaust port, separate pneumatics for operating the valve in reverse directions and normally communicating with the atmosphere through sepa ate ports, an exhaust chamber, and automatically operating means'inchuling a note sheet for alternately placing each of said pneumatics in con'm'iunication with the atmosphere port and with the exhaust chamher.

5. In a seltplaying musical instrument, an expressi(in-governing device including a pneumatic and means for opening the same under a predetermined force, in combination with auxiliary pneumatics acting upon the first-named pneumatic in opposition to said opening means and normally comi'nunicating with the atmosphere through separate ports, a reversibly movable slide valve for connecting and disconnecting the atmosphere'ports one by one with and from the exhaust port and provided with reversely arranged toothed racks, an exha chamber, separate valve chambers ham :7 ports opening to atmosphere and communicating with the exhaust chamber, valves controlling said ports and normally closing the exhaust ports, separate prin'iary pneumatics for operating the valves, additional pneumatics having separate pawls cooperating with said racks for shifting the slide valve step by step in reverse directions, a tracker bar having. ducts con'miuuicating with the primary pneumatics, and a note sheet having perforations cooperating with said ducts to control the operation of said primary pneumatics.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 23rd day of June, 1915.

. LEWIS BENJAMIN DOMAN.

Witnesses MARJORIE R. JULIA, MARGARET M. BROWN.

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